THE Department of State Services (DSS), on Wednesday, paraded one Bello Danhajiya, said to be a close associate and presumed second-in-command to the detained Khalid Al-Barnawi, said to be known for his leadership and notoriety in terrorism activities in Nigeria.
“With the arrest of Al-Barnawi, the DSS has made an uncommon success in the decimation of these groups and their leadership,” the service stated.
This was as it also paraded five suspects who specialised in impersonating and defrauding top government officials and Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the society.
According to the Service, one of the suspects, Aminu Ado, was in possession of mobile phone numbers of all the Federal Executive Council (FEC) members, some state governors, their wives and aides, as well as that of prominent Nigerians and military/police officers.
Mallam Garba Abdullai, who spoke for the Service, said Ado was arrested on March 24, at Keffi, Nasarawa State and had confessed to defrauding Lieutenant-General T.Y. Danjuma (retd) of N1 million in 2015, as well as the wife of the Akwa Ibom State governor of N300,000, in collaboration with one Hajia Aisha (FNU), who impersonated the wife of former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje.
He said in addition, Ado confessed to defrauding members of the public, by claiming to be the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president.
Another suspect, identified as David Ali Michika, said to have once lived in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, for 10 years as an illegal immigrant until he was deported in 2008, was said to have been arrested in Kano for impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Michika, according to the DSS, was said to have called several high ranking government officials, soliciting funds to settle spiritualists (Mallams) for prayers rendered for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election and for peace in the nation.
Another suspect, Umar Hamza, a 39-year-old school teacher from Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State, was reportedly recruited by Michika to act as the spiritualist based in Niger Republic, to be paid for the service rendered.
Mallam Garba said Hamza received calls from the victims, while pretending to be the spiritualist.
Also, the fourth suspect, James Malu Akune, a 40-year-old male from Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State, claimed to be a contractor with business interests in China and the United States (US), was alleged to be parading himself as the brother to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and defrauded people on false promises of contracts.
He was said to have equally arranged to get contract for companies from the victim’s Support Committee for the North-East, headed by T.Y. DANJUMA before his arrest.
The fifth suspect, Kazeem Kayode Usma, according to the Service, was arrested in Lagos on April 12 and had been on the trail of security agencies for the impersonation of Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the president.
DSS, while stating that the arrests of the suspects were based on a tip-off, said the suspects had opened various bank accounts to collect money from their victims.
However, there was mild drama, as both Kazeem and Akune denied their involvement in the allegations levelled against them, claiming that they were not aware as to why they were at the DSS headquarters
Source: Tribune
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